


In the Clouds (monsters reside)

by Catsby



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Almost smut, Alternate Universe, Angel Hunters, Angels, Anxiety, M/M, Panic Attacks, Some blood and stuff, kihyun is a mom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-05-01 04:52:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14512950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catsby/pseuds/Catsby
Summary: From the moment they meet, something about Hyungwon draws Wonho in.Eager to escape his boring life, Wonho allows himself to be swept up in a situation much bigger than him and much more dangerous than he could imagine.





	1. The Man With Wings

The air in the club is so hot, it's almost unbearable. People bounce around carelessly, some screaming along to the lyrics of the thudding music while other simply lose themselves in their movements. Some are on drugs, some are hammered, some are just high on life.

Hoseok fits into none of those categories. He sits at the bar, content with just watching, a neon blue drink with a name he can't exactly remember in his hand. Whenever he orders it, he usually just says "the blue one," and the bartender slides it to him. Depending on which bartender is working that night, "the blue one" might taste different, might come in a different glass, might have a different scent, and he's okay with that. Mixing it up is fun. Really, though, tonight's "blue one" is his favorite version. He sips it, and it has a familiar, warm, tropical taste to it that makes him smile and lets him imagine he's on a beach somewhere.

It's a nice escape, a sweet nonexistent memory of a vacation he never took years ago. His job as a simple office worker, a simple paper pusher, could get monotonous to say the least. At the end of the day, he always has a headache, his shoulders always hurt, and he always felt a bit empty inside. Still, he's generally content with his job, but that's it. Content. His apartment is nice, yeah, but it's empty and lonely. If he just sits around, he gets bored, which is why he tagged along one Friday evening with a friend for work to this club.

Now, he comes to this club every weekend, mainly to people-watch but also to hook up on occasion, if he can find someone as desperate as himself. It's a popular spot with the youngsters of his bustling city, and seeing as how he could probably be considered a youngster, this place currently ranks as his favorite weekend hangout spot. It's gotten to where he can even pick out a few other regulars. He doesn't know any names, he never asks for them, but he knows faces. That blonde - she always leaves with the most "sugar daddy" guy she can latch onto through the night. That brunet - he's into the older men and women, and he's a beast on the dance floor. That pink-haired guy-

Wait, pink? That's new.

Hoseok blinks over the edge of his glass at the man looking back at him from one of the leather couches. Even from here, even in the dimmed lights, he can see the storm brewing in the man's eyes, and it threatens to lure Hoseok in, the mystery of this sudden stranger almost too tantalizing. He manages to tear his gaze away from the handsome man staring at him and takes another long sip of his drink. He tries to sink back into a relaxation as the warmth of the alcohol tingles down his throat, but he can feel those intense eyes boring into him from across the room.

Who the hell is this guy? His look is so particular, so "him," and yet Hoseok can't remember ever seeing him here before. Or ever seeing him around the city, really. Surely he'd notice if this guy had been hanging around recently, but maybe he'd been slipping around unnoticed behind his back or something. That cherry blossom pink hair, though - it stands out so much, even in the club's shitty lighting. It's such a specific, unique color that it'd probably make that guy stand out like a sore thumb in a crowd.

Or maybe not. Maybe Hoseok's just too confident in his recognition abilities. Still, though, he would've noticed this guy if he'd been there the last time he dropped by, so he must be a new customer.

Cautiously, Hoseok risks a peek at him again, and he's shocked to see the somewhat unfitting playful smile on the man's plump lips. The man is gorgeous and dressed to kill, and he has an intimidating air of "I'm not here to play" about him. But he's smiling. And it's a cute smile. Hoseok feels something in his chest as he takes in the man's smile; a spark, a connection. The man feels important to him in some way.

Hoseok bites back profanity and spins his bar stool around so he's facing the wall, anxiously finishing off his drink in one more gulp. He can still feel the man's eyes on his broad shoulders, and it makes him want to squirm. He feels like he's being undressed with his eyes, and he doesn't hate it. He feels a flush rising from his neck to his face and stares intently down at the ice cubes in his glass, tempted to just grab one and stick it down his shirt to keep himself from overheating.

"You want another drink?" the bartender asks casually, and Hoseok looks up at him and nods quickly. He watches the bartender expertly mix and pour him another "blue one," his mind immediately going back to the man sitting about fifteen feet behind him. He can't feel his gaze on him anymore, but he definitely still feels like he's the center of attention. Whether that's actually the case or if it's his mind playing tricks on him, he has no idea, but it makes him bite and chew at his bottom lip anxiously.

Eagerly, almost.

There's something about it, something about being watched so closely. It awakens an urge in the pit of his stomach and makes his body tingle all the way down his spine to his fingertips. Or maybe that's the alcohol. Either way, it feels good, and he wants to just lap it up. He wants to just get up and march over to the man and drag him back to his apartment. Maybe get his name beforehand so he knows what to scream all night long. The thought of the man leaning over him, pink hair shoved back out of his face, sensual lips parted as he whispers Hoseok's name on a breath, a sheen of sweat over his lithe body. And those eyes, fervent yet mysterious, burning yet cool, saying everything yet nothing at all.

"Here's your drink," the bartender's voice interrupts Hoseok's little fantasy, and the bright blue drink slides over casually in front of him.

He says a soft thanks, picks up the drink, and swallows down about half of it quickly, desperate to cool his body off after such heated thoughts. He probably shouldn't be thinking so intimately about a stranger, someone he didn't even know the name of, he never thought about his previous hookups this much, but his mind automatically goes back to those thoughts. His body aches for the man's touch, and his heartbeat thuds louder than the music in his ears at the thought. He wants to feel those slender hands on his body, exploring every dip and curve of him.

His mouth is dry, so he takes another sip and tries to focus on the taste of his drink. It brings up another thought in his mind.

What does that man taste like?

He wants to taste him.

"Fuck," Hoseok whines quietly to himself, setting his drink back down on the bar. He takes a moment to close his eyes and draws in slow, deep breaths. He's so enveloped in the thought of a night with this man, but, again, he doesn't even know his name. He hasn't even looked at him for more than a minute. 

Maybe that's why, though. Maybe it's less the man himself and more the mystery surrounding him. It'd happened before, where Hoseok had been drawn to someone with just a fleeting glance, but it'd never been this bad. He'd never almost lost himself in his fantasies and daydreams like this. Surely, though, _surely,_ it's just the mystery. If he were to go and talk to the man, he wouldn't be so interested. That must be the answer to his problems.

Or, at least, that's what he tells himself as an excuse to stand up from his bar, drink in hand, and approach the couch the man is still perched on, long legs crossed gracefully.

"Mind if I sit?" he asks in as smooth a tone he can manage, giving a small motion to the empty space beside the man, who's gazing up at him with those chilling eyes once again.

The man's lips curl into an attractive smile again. "Go ahead."

Carefully, as if he'll be eaten if he moves to fast, Hoseok takes a seat beside him. He sits there for a moment before clearing his throat and shifting around to get comfortable, mimicking the man's position by crossing his legs as well. It's not as graceful, but it works in easing his nerves a bit somehow.

"So," Hoseok starts in a slow, cautious voice. The man's eyes flick back to him from the drink in his own hand, a tall, classy glass of something that looks expensive. After meeting his stormy blue eyes, Hoseok continues, "what's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?" the man asks, and it honestly stumps Hoseok. He opens his mouth and stammers for a bit, eyebrows raised and panic in his eyes, before the man takes pity on him with a little chuckle. "Hyungwon."

"Hyungwon," Hoseok echoes. He gives a small laugh, then freezes when he sees the inquisitive, almost offended look on his newly named crush's face. Quickly, he explains, "Sorry, I- I wasn't laughing at you, I just...It fits you. Somehow. It's pretty."

Up close, he can see the intensity in Hyungwon's eyes fade to amusement. "Oh, does it? So you think I'm pretty?"

Hoseok almost argues with that, embarrassment on his mind, but he stops himself. Why lie about his feelings? He came to the club to hook up, so why was he getting all shy and timid around this guy? He clears his throat before answering, "Yeah, really pretty."

He seems to catch Hyungwon off guard with that, as he can see the man's cheeks flush a pink as soft as his hair in the dim light. Again, his lips curve into a smile, and their eyes meet again. It's a small connection, but it sends sparks down Hoseok's spine and lights a little flame in Hyungwon's eyes. The pink-haired man quietly responds, "Thanks."

Before Hoseok knows it, he and Hyungwon are in the hallway leading to the bathroom, pressed against each other up against the wall, their lips locked in a sloppy mess of a kiss, teeth clicking together and tongues twisted. He's not sure where their drinks are or if he paid his tab, but that's okay. He's far more concerned with the knee pressing between his thighs and the hands wandering up his shirt.

"What's your name?" Hyungwon whispers suddenly against his lips. His words are hot on Hoseok's mouth, mingling with his own, and he can taste the pricey alcohol he'd been drinking while they chatted on his breath.

"Hoseok," he answers breathlessly and grabs the back of the taller man's neck to pull him down into another deep kiss. He bites at Hyungwon's bottom lip, drawing a sexy groan from him. The kiss is just as heated as their first moments ago, rushed and passionate, awakening that dark hunger in the pit of Hoseok's stomach again.

However, the man breaks the kiss again. His lips linger just a few inches from Hoseok's, but it's still far enough to annoy Hoseok. He groans in frustration, but it quickly turns to a groan of need when he hears the man breathe out his name, "Hoseok."

It sounds just as beautiful as he'd been expecting.

"F-Fuck, I live just-" Hoseok's voice breaks into a gasp when Hyungwon's mouth latches onto the side of his neck, sucking and biting an angry red mark into his skin. He whines when Hyungwon bites just a bit too hard, scared his canine teeth are about to break the skin, his fists clinging onto the silky fabric of his shirt tightly. When Hyungwon leans back and eyes his handiwork with a satisfied gaze, Hoseok manages to get out, "I-I live just down the block. Five- five minute drive."

"Let's go," Hyungwon says without hesitation.

Hoseok's record of making out in the back of a cab is already lengthy, and he thought he'd be adding to it tonight. To his surprise, though, once they get in the back of the cab, Hyungwon is calm and collected, the fiery lust in his eyes the only thing betraying his inner thoughts. As they ride in the cab, Hoseok almost wants to just reach over and grab him, regardless of what the driver might say or think, but he briefly considers that maybe Hyungwon isn't comfortable with that.

But then why would he be comfortable with making out, almost banging, in the hallway of a club but not in the back of a cab?

The black-haired man squirms a bit in his seat, and it's then that he notices the faint smirk on Hyungwon's lips.

Oh. He's making him wait for it.

Hoseok never thought doing nothing could be so sexy, but here he was, about to go crazy in the back of a cab from Hyungwon just...sitting there and looking pretty. Well, the same thing happened back in the club, too. Back there, he'd almost been driven to insanity by just a gaze from Hyungwon.

Why did this guy have such an effect on him?

He doesn't have much of a chance to deliberate over it, as he and Hyungwon are soon stumbling into the elevator of his apartment building, lips already smashed together in a desperate kiss. His back hits the side of the elevator, and he scrambles to punch the button for his floor without breaking the kiss, accidentally managing to hit two more buttons in the process.

Before he can fully register it, Hyungwon has one of Hoseok's legs hiked up around his slender waist as they make out. His long fingers grope at the side of his thigh, and his hips are pressing up against Hoseok's. The thinner body against him feels so hot with desperation, and their kiss is so eager and sweet. He feels like he's being overwhelmed with all his senses; the intense warmth of his body, the searing touches to his leg and under his shirt, the expensive taste of his tongue, the floral scent of his shampoo or cologne or just him, the dark eyes boring into his as they kiss.

There's a small ding as the elevator opens to the fourth floor, distracting Hoseok for just a moment. It's not his floor, a result of him smacking his hand on the buttons and hoping for the best, so he just ignores it at first.

Until he can't ignore it anymore.

Until a silver blade pokes his stomach. 

He looks down at the blood soaked tip of a sword, and his eyes widen as he registers what's going on. Hyungwon's been stabbed, the blade entering his back and exiting through the middle of his stomach, far enough to nearly stab the shorter man as well. He can suddenly taste the blood from Hyungwon's mouth on his lips, and all he can manage to whisper is, "Hyungwon?"

Their eyes meet again before the blade is pulled back, and Hyungwon falls hard to his knees and then to his side on the floor of the elevator. For a second, Hoseok can't find the words to say, his mind racing. What the hell is this? Did he get drugged, was all this just some bad trip from a sneaked molly or acid or something? What the hell? _What the hell??_

"Hyu-" Hoseok chokes out, feeling tears of panic pricking his eyes and quickly overflowing down his cheeks as he falls to his knees by Hyungwon's unresponsive body. "H-Hyungwon? Hyungwon? H-Hey, Hyun-"

Someone scoffs in the doorway of the elevator, and Hoseok lifts his blurry gaze to look at the tall, lean man. The bloodied sword is in his hand, and he's wearing a smug smirk. Painfully smug. Hoseok feels rage streak through him, and it makes the tears roll faster down his cheeks.

"Dumbass," the man spits out, the word spoken as sharp as the blade in his hand. "How pathetic. You think he'd know better than to let his guard down like that just cause of some boy toy."

The words make Hoseok's emotions flip, concern and fear turning to pure anger.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hoseok asks slowly through clenched teeth, his fists shaking on Hyungwon's side. He almost can't contain himself, he can feel his mind starting to get fuzzy with the intense emotions, his vision nearly darkening around the edges.

The man puts his hand on the elevator door when it tries to close, and he stares coldly down at Hoseok, that arrogant smirk still on his face. "That guy's a dumbass for just letting himself get stabbed like that, that's what I'm talking about."

Hoseok can't question what's going on. His mind is racing so fast that he can't even keep up anymore. He can't question why this guy has a fucking sword or why this guy stabbed Hyungwon or why the hell he's so happy about killing someone, but at least he's aware of his own building anger. He begins to stand, ready to charge this guy even though he'd probably be cut down as well, but a warm hand on his wrist stops him.

"Don't," Hyungwon's voice is weak and cracked as he sits up, one hand on Hoseok's wrist and the other on the straight-through wound on his stomach. Hoseok can hardly believe what he's seeing, staring with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide, completely dumbfounded as Hyungwon stands up in front of him, taking a protective position.

"Oh, good, you're up!" the raven-haired man in the doorway of the elevator mockingly laughs, and the sound snaps Hoseok out of his astonishment.

He scrambles to his feet and grabs Hyungwon's shoulder, stammering out, "H-Hey, you need to sit down! I'll call the cops, they can come handle this-"

"Get back," Hyungwon interrupts. His tone is heavy. Serious. Hoseok can't help but obey, stepping back until his back hits the wall of the elevator. There's a different air about Hyungwon now. Whereas in the club, Hoseok was drawn in to him, now he wants to just run as far away as he can. He's scared, terrified in fact, of the man before him, staring at his slender back silently.

He can see the entrance wound from the sword on the lower part of Hyungwon's back from here. The blood has soaked through into Hyungwon's silk turtleneck, further darkening the black color of the fabric, and where the shirt is ripped, he can see the open wound that goes straight through his body. For the tenth time, he asks himself how Hyungwon can be standing right now, after getting stabbed like that.

Thankfully, his questions are quickly answered.

White wings suddenly bloom from Hyungwon's shoulder blades, taking up a large portion of the space in the elevator. They're bent, obviously cramped from the small space, but they're just as breathtaking. Hoseok can't even find a single drop of air to breathe in as he stares at the shiny white feathers just a foot from his face. A single word pops into his head.

Angel?

The words Hyungwon shares with the other man are blurred, hazy in Hoseok's mind. He can only focus on the somehow graceful movements of Hyungwon's wings, even in the small space, as he flings feathers at the man, forcing him to back out into the hallway. The feathers must be sharp, as Hoseok can see them stab into the wall when they miss man with soft thuds and thumps. There's a shrill noise like metal hitting metal when he deflects one of Hyungwon's feathers with his sword, the sound sharp and piercing to Hoseok's ears.

Hyungwon chases after the man, stepping out into the hallway, keeping one foot in the doorway to keep the elevator from closing on him. In the hall, his wings spread out further, and Hoseok's breath is taken away all over again. He's beautiful, with slender wings that match his body type, and in the better lighting, Hoseok can even see the pink tips to his razor sharp feathers. Even as he's fighting for his(and Hoseok's) life furiously, even with blood dripping from the nasty wound in his abdomen, even with a scowl on his face, he's absolutely beautiful.

There's another thud after Hyungwon slings more of his feathers down the hallway, but it's wet and muffled, a much different sound from when they hit the wall. It's also followed by a yell of pure pain. Hoseok can only imagine where the black-haired man got hit, and he almost wants to step over and peek out, to see that smug asshole get what he deserves, but Hyungwon quickly ducks back into the elevator and finally lets the doors close.

"We've gotta get out of here," he says quickly as he slams his hand on the button for the ground floor. There's a sound of a metal sword clanging against the closed doors of the elevator before it lifts up to the next floor Hoseok had accidentally hit earlier, followed by muffled yells of frustration from the man on the fourth floor.

As the doors open and close for the fifth floor, Hoseok turns his gaze cautiously to look at Hyungwon, who's standing beside him with his grand wings folded behind him, his breath coming out in harsh, wheezing pants as he clenches one hand on his bloodied stomach. Hoseok wants to ask about him, ask if he's okay, ask about what the hell is going on, but he can't find the words. Instead, he just stares at him with still teary eyes, his cheeks wet and blood still on his lips from their interrupted kiss.

Hyungwon notices his stare, glances at him, then looks away. "Sorry," is all he says as the doors open for the seventh floor, Hoseok's floor.

Hoseok can't reply. His eyes flick to the open doorway, and he considers running. He gets the feeling Hyungwon would understand, but at the same time, can he really just leave knowing that Hyungwon is in danger? He just met Hyungwon, and his life is here, in this city, in this building. But something about the man beside him continues to draw him in, a connection between them like nothing he's ever felt. He thinks something is trying to tell him that they're meant to be, but his rational side argues, "Why would I leave my life behind to help someone I've only just met?"

Still, standing at this crossroads, he hesitates. Down one road, he goes back to living a (probably) normal life. Down the other road, he goes with Hyungwon and...he doesn't know. He actually doesn't know what will happen, and part of that excites him. His whole life has been nothing but the same thing over and over again, and now, faced with a huge change, how could he say no?

It still hurts, of course, leaving his comfort space behind, but there's no turning back now.

As the doors close, he looks back to Hyungwon and chokes out through a few more tears, "It's okay."

They ride the elevator down to the lobby in silence, save for Hoseok's occasional little sob. Hyungwon does nothing to console the man beside him, only coming into contact with him again once the doors slide open, reaching over to grab his wrist and pull him out of the elevator. The doorman gives them a very weird look as they hurry on outside, but he doesn't even try to stop them.

Running down the sidewalk in the dead of night, a bleeding angel gripping his wrist tightly, a near-death experience under his belt - it isn't exactly how Hoseok had thought his night would end. As he sprints alongside Hyungwon, he remembers the first time their eyes met about an hour ago. At that time, he'd known there was something off about Hyungwon. Hadn't he? Or had he really been so blinded by an attractive man looking at him that he hadn't noticed the odd air about him? Was he that dense, that shallow?

A sleek black sports car pulls up beside them, and Hoseok is about to run even harder from whoever's driving it when Hyungwon abruptly stops, pulling him to a stop as well. He's dragged over to the car and practically tossed into the backseat, the cool leather a shock to his skin from the warm Summer air. Before he can even question it, Hyungwon hops in, slams the door closed, and the car speeds off, tires screeching against the road.

"Wow," the person in the front passenger's seat says, turning around halfway to look back at Hyungwon, eyes shining with almost mocking amusement. "You actually got stabbed. Good job."

Hyungwon merely groans in response, and Hoseok notices that his wings are gone now. When did that happen?

The person, a man with a pretty face and warm brown hair, turns his narrow gaze to the man beside Hyungwon. His eyes drag up and down Hoseok before he asks, "Who're you?"

"Hoseok," Hyungwon answers for him, quick and sharp despite being in an obvious amount of pain. Hoseok wants to reach over a place a comforting hand on Hyungwon's thigh, but something inside himself stops him. Fear, maybe.

"Human, huh?" the brown-haired man asks, and when Hyungwon doesn't say anything, Hoseok just nods, as if it's a question he has to answer often. Again, the man's gaze scrutinizes him, and then he hums, "Alright. I'm guessing there's some reason Hyungwon brought you along. My name's Kihyun."

"Johnny saw his face," Hyungwon says with a heavy, painful sigh. Hoseok assumes "Johnny" is that black-haired asshole from earlier. "And he knows where he lives. I couldn't leave him."

Hoseok wants to interject and say it was his idea, that he's the one who said okay and agreed to come along, but he quickly abandons the thought, the words dying on the tip of his tongue. He's still new, he still doesn't know what's okay and not okay to say around these people. If anything he says could be taken as rude, he fears he may end up on the receiving end of those razor-edge feathers, and based on the scream that Johnny guy let out earlier, that certainly doesn't seem like a good time.

"Sweet of you," Kihyun comments back, and there's a certain tone to his voice that Hoseok thinks is sarcasm but he's not sure. That, coupled with the little smirk on his face makes Kihyun's compliment seem a little less than genuine. Hoseok almost wants to comment on it, but Kihyun moves on quickly, nodding to the man behind the wheel of the car, saying, "This is Hyunwoo."

Hyunwoo had been so quiet that Hoseok almost forgot someone was actually driving the car. Even from this angle, he can tell Hyunwoo is large, much like himself, with broad, muscular shoulders and thick biceps. Their eyes meet in the rear view mirror, and Hyunwoo gives a small nod of his head, casually saying, "Hey."

"Hey," Hoseok replies weakly, a bit taken aback by the everyday tone in the big man's voice. He turns his head to look at Hyungwon, whose eyes are screwed shut tightly as he clenches at his stomach. Was this a normal occurrence? Did Hyungwon get stabbed a lot? Why weren't these other guys freaking out?

"Look," Kihyun says, drawing Hoseok's attention back to him. Kihyun smiles at him when their eyes lock. "We've got a long drive. Why don't you try to get some sleep, alright?"

"But-"

As if he can tell what Hoseok is about to say, Hyungwon grits out, "I'll be fine. I heal quickly. Just- just get some sleep."

Still, Hoseok hesitates, his eyes lingering on Hyungwon before turning to look out the back window of the car. The buildings that pass by, the city they're leaving behind, it's his life. His job. His apartment. Fortunately, he didn't have pets or anything, but he did have a few friends from work. They'd worry about him surely, but he had his phone with him. If they texted him, what should he say? 

He's been swept up in something bigger than him, that had become apparent to him the moment he tasted Hyungwon's blood on his lips, but it's just now starting to set him. He can't exactly argue, though, not when he's locked in a moving car with three angels(or whatever they are). His opportunity to leave or even just hesitate is long gone by now.

His gaze flicks back to Hyungwon, who's staring at him harshly through half-lidded eyes. The gaze sends a chill down his spine, different to the one he felt when he saw him in the club. Again, it's fear, not pleasure, that he feels when he looks at Hyungwon now. He feels like crying again, but he bites his tongue and scoots over as far as he can, resting his head against the car window.

"Oh, and buckle up," Kihyun orders in an almost motherly tone.

Hoseok obeys, grabbing the seatbelt. He stretches it across his chest and buckles it into place with a click, effectively sealing his fate as a passenger in this ride. He stares out the window and watches as the scenery gradually fades from a cityscape to nighttime countryside. Sleep is impossible, too much on his mind, but he eventually closes his eyes and just listens to the hum of the wheels on the road, Hyungwon's labored breathing beside him, and Kihyun chatting softly with Hyunwoo in the front seat.

A hookup. He'd gone to the club for a hookup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this first chapter is okay! ;v; it started off as smut but then it evolved /wheezes  
> let me know what you think!
> 
> here's my twitter if you wanna chat about kpop [longerassride](https://twitter.com/longerassride)


	2. A House in the Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just to clear it up, i changed one thing from the first chapter  
> Johnny from NCT is here! he's the angel hunter (Minhyuk is now part of the angel group)

For the first time in weeks, it’s the sunshine pouring in through the window that wakes Hoseok, not his alarm. He’s grown so accustomed to the blaring, repetitive sound jolting him from his dreams that waking gradually and gently, easing out of sleep, comes as a bit of a surprise to him. The young man lies there for a few long moments, his eyes barely cracked open, eyelashes blurring his vision of the wall beside the bed, before he gives a low, content hum and rolls over to bury his face into the soft pillow underhead. It’s too comfortable, too warm. He doesn’t want to get up yet, no matter what the sunshine says.

But then he registers the stiffness in his neck, no doubt from sitting in a car for hours, his head tilted against the window while he slept the whole time, and consciousness shoots through him like a lightning bolt, his eyes snapping open as he turns his head back to the wall. It’s unfamiliar, he realizes now. It’s painted a dark maroon, not the off-white he’s used to seeing every morning. And these white sheets he’s engulfed in - they’re too soft, almost silky, so different from his sheets. They smell a lot better too, sweeter and floral, and something is familiar about the scent, familiar in a way that makes his stomach twist.

He sits up and looks around the room, and his gaze settled on the ripped, bloodied turtleneck lying forgotten on the dresser. And it all comes rushing back to him. Going to his favorite club, meeting _him,_ seeing him get stabbed, seeing his _wings,_ letting himself be dragged out of the city and away from his whole life. He suddenly feels sick, and he clenches his jaw around the urge to vomit.

He doesn’t know where he is. Vaguely, he can recall the car coming to a stop at some point in the dead of night, and he can still feel the phantom of someone’s arm around his waist, leading him through a doorway and maybe up a flight of stairs. Other than that, he doesn’t remember much, and that’s terrifying to him. He toys with the idea that maybe he had been drugged at the club last night, maybe the whole thing with the “angels” and the guy with the sword was just a bad trip, maybe the guy with cherry blossom hair was a human trafficker and had swept him away to sell him.

He knows that’s not what it is, though. He knows exactly what happened, he remembers everything before he passed out in the car vividly. He wasn’t drugged, he wasn’t even forced to come along. He came willingly. He was given a chance to go back to his normal life, and for whatever reason that he must’ve thought was good enough at the time, he didn’t take it. Now he doesn’t know where he is or why he’s here, and there are tears rapidly welling up in his eyes.

Clutching the soft comforter on the bed tight, he tries to blink the water in his eyes away, but he only succeeds in blurring his vision more, much to his frustration. Before he can stop the pathetic noise, a sob tears itself from his throat, and his hand comes up automatically to cover his mouth and then rub the heel of his palm over his eyes, futilely trying to wipe away the running tears. 

Now, thinking back to last night, he recognizes why the smell of the sheets is familiar. It’s Hyungwon’s cologne. He’d picked up on it during one of their heated, frantic makeout sessions, either in the club or in the elevator, and at the time, he liked it so much that he’d even made a mental note to ask Hyungwon what it was. Last night’s Hoseok had briefly considered buying a bottle for himself, but this morning’s Hoseok wants to just get away from it.

His legs are shaky as he stands up and leaves the sweet-smelling sheets mussed and disheveled on the bed, and he makes no move to fix them, unable to stand the scent for much longer. Plus, he feels gross. He’s still wearing his clothes from last night, though his shoes and jacket are nowhere to be seen, but more than that, he can’t get the thought of Hyungwon’s body against his out of his head. Normally, he’d remember his one night stands the day after with a sort of fondness and amusement, but now it just makes him struggle to breathe. He no longer feels that connection to the taller man he’d felt last night, that inexplicable feeling that had wrapped around him and dragged him along on this journey, that had made him make a split-second, life-changing decision. That warm connection is gone, and now he just wants to shower and wash it all away. He’s not angry, but he almost feels betrayed, hurt that this beautiful man that was so nice and sweet and kind to him is this- this-

_Monster,_ some awful part of his brain supplies, but he quickly shakes the word from his head. No, Hyungwon _saved_ him from that Johnny guy, Hyungwon isn’t a monster. He’s not human, but he’s certainly not a monster.

Right?

Hoseok stands at the door with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. That’s right, he barely even knows Hyungwon. He barely knew Hyungwon when he decided to take him home with him last night, but now he feels like he knows even less about him. Again, that feeling of being betrayed, of being tricked by the pretty face and stunning smiling and skin-tingling words, comes rushing back over him. Some part of him wants to argue that there’s no way Hyungwon could’ve predicted they’d be ambushed by Johnny like that. He tells himself Hyungwon didn’t plan this on purpose, and even if he did, he still gave Hoseok the chance to run away(which he _did not_ take, his brain reminds him with a sting of something weakly akin to regret). He shouldn’t blame Hyungwon here, but he just can’t shake the dull ache in his chest, the sensation of being lied to, of being taken advantage of.

He doubts he can face Hyungwon right now, but he knows he probably stands somewhere beyond this door. He knows that if he goes out there, he’ll have to see him and maybe talk to him, and that thought scares him. He remembers how cold Hyungwon had been last night in the car, how quickly his expression and the whole air about him had changed, how different he was compared to the man Hoseok had met in the club.

Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, he glances back at the bed and recalls the way Hyungwon had treated him before they were attacked. How charming he’d been, all cool words and breathtaking smiles. His hands were so gentle, warm and slow on Hoseok’s face and body. His lips still remember how intensely Hyungwon had kissed him, and his skin still warms as he remembers the way Hyungwon stared at him as if he could just devour him, that electric gaze still burned into his mind. He recalls how pliant he’d been under Hyungwon’s attention, how he’d whined and gasped into Hyungwon’s mouth with the slightest touches, how just one shared glance had him captivated and wanting to run to the taller man. Somewhere, deep inside him, he still feels that tug towards Hyungwon.

And then he turns back to the door, and he forces himself to remember once again the sight of Hyungwon in the hallway of his apartment building, wings spread as much as they could be in the cramped quarters. Hyungwon’s eyes had been so cold then, and his hand was harsh when he grabbed Hoseok’s wrist, his fingers freezing and tight. Though they were touching, Hyungwon felt so distant from him in that moment, the taller man barely even addressing Hoseok, barely even glancing Hoseok’s way. And the few times he did look at him, those once so pretty and mesmerizing eyes scared him, chilled him deep into his bones, and made him want to just run away.

That urge to flee still sits in the pit of Hoseok’s stomach, heavy like a lead ball, but remembering how sweet Hyungwon had been just reminds him even more of how fast and sharp he’d changed. And that hurts. It puts the thought in his head that everything before that elevator ride had been an act.

Suddenly, Hyungwon’s cologne doesn’t smell so sweet anymore, and he takes a deep breath to steel his nerves before turning away from the bed and the memories of the man he met in the club. He reaches out and turns the doorknob, pushing the door open and finally stepping out of the room.

The first thing Hoseok notices as he walks down the hallway, following the distant sounds of voices and maybe pots clanging, is that this house is big. He passes five doors on his way down the big hall, and at least four of them must be bedrooms. The fifth door, second from the stairs, is the only one left wide open for him to peer into, and it looks more like an office, lots of bookshelves with a desk covered in papers sitting in front of the window. There is another hallway on the other side of the stairs with more doors, but they’re all closed, so he doesn’t go that way. Instead, he descends down to the first floor, taking careful steps down the smooth, white stairs, his hand gripping the dark, rich brown wooden railing tight.

The foyer is rather large and open, and the sparkly, round chandelier hanging from the ceiling catches his attention as he steps down off the bottom step. He gazes at it for a second before glancing around to pinpoint where the sounds of activity are coming from, directing his attention away from the pretty lights to the doorless archway leading deeper into the house. Now he can smell something delicious wafting from in there, nearly making his mouth water and making him realize the hunger grumbling in his stomach. It’s a really delicious smell, like fresh baked goods and syrup. Maybe pancakes? God, he _really_ hopes it’s pancakes.

As he cautiously walks closer, there’s the sound of loud, boisterous laughter, and someone shouts something that sounds mildly offended. Someone must’ve made a bad joke, he notes, and he steps up to the doorway, leaning to peer into the room.

As he suspected, it’s the kitchen and dining room. It’s somewhat small, both rooms squeezed together into one, but it’s really nice. The layout is rather open, and the large windows lining the wall let in natural light that make it look inviting. The wood floors of the foyer give away abruptly to white marble, filling the underfoot area of the new room. The kitchen is furnished with very modern-looking appliances, all shiny black and silver metal that contrasts in a really satisfying way against the white countertops. The cabinets are black too, and usually Hoseok isn’t too big on the whole black and white look for kitchens, but it looks good here somehow. Separating the kitchen area from the dining area is a long bar that’s lined with three stools. It doesn’t stretch the entire width of the room, just enough to differentiate between the two areas.

The dining area is nice as well, of course. A nice, almost antique-looking table made of dark wooden similar in color to that of the stairs railing sits in the middle, surrounded by six chairs. There’s a pretty chandelier hanging over the center of the table, similar in design to the one in the foyer but much smaller, and a few cabinets with glass doors line the walls. More eye-catching than the pretty furniture and the knick-knacks and pretty plates in the cabinets though is the number of seats around the table. Six chairs, did that mean there are six people living in this house? With the number of bedrooms, it’d make sense, but he thought there was only Hyungwon, Kihyun, and Hyunwoo. Turning his attention back to the kitchen, though, he spots a new face sitting at the bar.

Both Kihyun and Hyunwoo are there too though, the shorter of the two standing behind the bar, apron tied around his waist, a black spatula in his hand, while Hyunwoo sits at the bar beside the unfamiliar man. Hoseok can only see the new guy’s back from here, but he can see he’s smaller than Hyunwoo, considerably thinner and a bit shorter as well, but maybe that’s just because he’s currently hunched over the bartop with laughter. The man’s hair is a shade somewhere between red and purple, a color Hoseok has never really seen on a person’s hair before, and it’s wild, strands sticking out all over the place like he just rolled out of bed. 

Really, the sight makes Hoseok pause and consider his own hygiene, since he did literally just roll out of bed. He reaches a hand up to run his fingers through his hair, smoothing down any out of place strands, but he still hesitates, briefly considering going back upstairs and searching for a bathroom so he can freshen up. The sweet smell of pancakes beckons him, however, so he draws in a deep breath before stepping through the open doorway. 

Kihyun is halfway through a sentence that sounds eerily similar to a mother scolding a young child when he spots Hoseok, and the smile that spreads across his face is so welcoming and warm that Hoseok feels his anxiousness melt away momentarily. “Hey, there you are!”

The two men at the bar turn, Hyunwoo just turning his head to look over his shoulder at the newcomer, while the red-headed man fully spins around atop the stool. Hoseok finds himself a bit breathless when he finally sees his face. He’s very handsome, just like Hyunwoo and Kihyun and Hyungwon, but his eyes are so much brighter than all theirs, big and full of curiosity and happiness, sparkling and shining. He sits much like a child on the stool, hands down between his casually spread thighs, fingers curled around the edge of the seat, kicking his feet as he practically beams at this stranger standing before him. He doesn’t really look at Hoseok like a stranger though. He looks him up and down, sure, but he does it with a quick flick of his eyes and a cute smile on his face, like he’s just checking out a buddy’s outfit, not getting a first impression on someone.

When he brings his eyes back up to meet Hoseok’s, he breaks into the brightest grin Hoseok has ever seen, the friendly smile flashing his pretty teeth and squinting his eyes til he certainly can’t even see the man he’s smiling at. “Hi!” he chirps.

“Good morning,” Hoseok replies immediately, barely even thinking about it. He’s still struggling to even think straight with this ball of sunshine smiling at him.

Kihyun’s response of, “Actually, it’s about 2 in the afternoon.” catches his attention though, and Hoseok blinks in surprise. He glances at the walls for a clock, and when he doesn’t find one, he reaches down to his pocket, planning to grab his phone to check the time. To his surprise, his phone isn’t there, and he blinks again, patting himself down. First his front pockets and then his back pockets, and then he looks at the three men curiously.

Kihyun is looking at him with this amused but curious expression, one eyebrow quirked. “What’s up?”

Hoseok’s brows pinch together in confusion. “I don’t know where my phone is. Or my jacket. Or my shoes.”

“Oh,” Kihyun says suddenly, holding his spatula up to grab Hoseok’s attention, “I put your jacket and your shoes in the closet in Hyungwon’s room, I think I felt your phone in your jacket pocket.” 

Before Hoseok can respond, Minhyuk chimes in with a playful grin, “You guys got here pretty late last night, and you were _out._ I had to help Hyunwoo put you to bed.”

Beside him, the big brunet grunts. “Yeah, you were heavy.”

That has Hoseok’s cheeks reddening all the way to his ears, and he ducks his head, mumbling a small apology. He feels awful, having been an actual deadweight for these complete strangers. He feels awful for another reason too, but he refuses to acknowledge it. It definitely doesn’t have to do with the fact that Hyungwon apparently didn’t help him get to bed safely at all. He’d assumed Hyungwon had been the one to help him since he saw his turtleneck on the dresser earlier, but now that he knows that Kihyun was the one to put away his clothes, he wouldn’t be surprised if he did the same for Hyungwon.

A realization suddenly occurs to Hoseok, snapping him out of his little Hyungwon-centered daze, and he lifts his head to look at the red-haired man still looking his way. “What’s your name?”

Right away, the man gasps and leaps from his stool. His bare feet patter on the cool floor as he marches up to Hoseok. He doesn’t even offer his hand to Hoseok, he just reaches out and grabs his hand, shaking it firmly with another big smile. “I’m Minhyuk!”

The enthusiastic greeting makes Hoseok give his own smile, his cheeks lifting before he can stop himself, and he chuckles back, “Hoseok.”

“I know,” Minhyuk replies simply and shortly, and there’s a playful twinkle in his eyes before he returns to the bar, hopping up on his stool and spinning it around once with a delighted hum. He places his feet on the metal bar between the legs of the stool to still the spin of the seat before looking back to Hoseok. “Kihyun told me a looot about you.”

Behind him, Kihyun scoffs loudly, having gone back to preparing the pancakes(thank god they are actually pancakes, Hoseok thinks). “I told you everything I know, which is not a lot,” he corrects Minhyuk, then looks back over his shoulder at Hoseok. “All I know is your name and how you ended up in my car.”

“ _Our_ car,” Minhyuk says suddenly, tipping his head back and wiggling his shoulders proudly, like sharing a car with his three housemates is some massive achievement.

“Kihyun’s car,” Hyunwoo responds in a low voice that quickly shuts Minhyuk up.

“That’s right,” Kihyun huffs from his spot beside the stove, using the spatula in his hand to flip one of the precious, golden pancakes. “I’m the one who bought it after all. Plus, you never even pay for gas, so you really don’t get the privilege to call it _our_ car.”

That seems to set Minhyuk off, and the two start bickering, both shooting little quips back and forth at each other. Hoseok keeps his distance as he listens, amused but not wanting to overstep any unsaid boundaries. He finally does step forward after a few seconds but only when Kihyun makes a motion with his spatula for him to come closer while lecturing Minhyuk about the importance of gas mileage. It still takes Hoseok a couple seconds to work up the courage to take a seat though, hopping up onto the stool on the other side of Hyunwoo.

Up until now, Hyunwoo hadn’t said much, but Hoseok sees why now, finding the brunet blinking slowly down at the cup of coffee in his hand. Up close like this, Hoseok can see the shadows under his eyes and the slightly glazed look over his face. He looks absolutely exhausted, like he just woke up, and while Hoseok feels the slightest bit sorry for him, it also comes as a kind of relief as well, knowing that he’s not the only one to have just woken up.

It comes as a little bit of a startle when Hyunwoo turns that sleepy gaze Hoseok’s way though, catching him staring. He fully expects to receive a glare or a venomous snap of “what are you looking at?” but instead, he just gets a drowsy, almost heart-warming smile, and he can’t help but smile back. Hyunwoo returns to staring at his coffee like he’s just considering drinking it, and Hoseok turns his attention to the two other men still chattering at each other.

“Okay, I hear what you’re saying, Kihyun, I really do, but have you considered - I don’t know - shutting up?”

For what must be the fourth time since Hoseok has walked into the room, Kihyun scoffs, and Hoseok swears he can hear him roll his eyes. The small brunet grumbles as he slides the pancakes from the pan and onto a plate, placing them on the top of the finished stack already waiting there, and then he suddenly spins on his heels, lifting the hot pan like he’s about to throw it at Minhyuk’s head. 

For a split second, Hoseok panics, his eyes widening as he thinks he’s about to witness an actual murder, but Hyunwoo chimes in beside him, voice deep and rough with sleep, “Not worth it, Kihyun.”

There’s a beat of pause, and then Kihyun turns back around, marching over to the sink to drop the pan in it while spitting out, “You lucky little shit.”

Said lucky little shit fully cackles on the other side of Hyunwoo, a loud and absolutely mischievous sound that has Hoseok chuckling along. From where he’s sitting, he can even see the tug of a smile lifting Kihyun’s cheeks as well, which only makes him laugh along that much more. 

It’s only once he’s sitting there and eating the two pancakes Kihyun slid on a plate to him that he realizes just how relaxed he is. These three are so different from what he was expecting, all of them smiling and happy and accepting his presence so easily, like he’s always been there, like he’s always been a part of their friend group. It’s nice, but it almost makes him feel bad for doubting them. He feels like a jerk for just assuming they’d all be hostile to him or cold in the same way Hyungwon was. He almost wants to apologize, but he holds his tongue, keeping his mouth busy by stuffing it with sweet, fluffy, syrup-drenched pancakes.

It really doesn’t take him that long to finish the little breakfast, eagerly gulping down the glass of orange juice Kihyun hands him at one point, and when he’s done, he feels a bit disappointed. It’d been more than a year since he had a home-cooked breakfast, and it was so delicious that he hadn’t even taken his time to savor it. He doesn’t even realize he’s pouting while staring down at his empty plate til Hyunwoo chuckles beside him, the deep sound startling him.

“Good, right?” Hyunwoo smiles when Hoseok nods in response. The brunet seems a lot more awake now with some coffee and food in him, eyes more alert and smile more prominent on his plump lips.

“Kihyun cooks for us everyday,” Minhyuk chimes in as he leans back to peer around Hyunwoo’s wide form at Hoseok. He’s talking with his mouth full, and Hoseok doesn’t fail to notice the disgusted look on Kihyun’s face. “He even cleans too, he’s like a maid or something.”

Kihyun’s look of disgust transforms into one of annoyance, and he heaves a sigh before taking a drink of the mug of coffee in his hand. “I’m not a maid, you brat,” he responds with a playfully sharp tone, but his action contradict his words, as within the next second, he’s moving to pick up all three of their empty plates and glasses. As he carries the dishes over to the sink to wash them, Minhyuk flashes Hoseok a “see?” look behind Hyunwoo’s back, and Hoseok laughs.

Before the two can start bickering again, Hyunwoo sits up from his stool with a grunt and stretches, lifting his arms above his head and leaning to the side slightly. “Well,” he starts after a big yawn, “I’m gonna go take a shower.”

That makes Hoseok look up, his earlier worries about his own hygiene coming back to him. “Oh, uh, I’d like to shower too. Is there another bathroom I could use?”

“There was,” Kihyun answers, and when Hoseok looks at him, he’s got an accusatory expression pointed directly at Minhyuk. “But then _someone_ decided to wash their wings, and I’m sure you can guess how that went.”

_Wings._

Hoseok’s gaze turns to Minhyuk, who’s spitting some retort or excuse back at Kihyun, and he just stares. He’d forgotten that these people weren’t human, it had just completely slipped his mind in the midst of all the fun he was having with them, but now the realization comes back full force, bringing his anxiety with it. The man standing on the other side of the counter, the man sitting a stool away from him, the man walking away behind him - none of them are human, and neither is Hyungwon, wherever the hell he is. Hoseok is the only human here, and the thought makes him swallow, trying to get down the lump that quickly rose in his throat. 

They’re not a threat to him, he tells himself and breathes in deep through his nose, looking away to be as subtle as possible. They’ve been nothing but nice to him, smiling and laughing with him. Hell, Kihyun even cooked him a breakfast. These people are _nice._

But then he takes in Kihyun’s words - _“I’m sure you can guess how that went.”_ \- and he doesn't have guess. He _knows_. He saw it for himself last night when Hyungwon was fighting Johnny, how sharp their feathers are. The sight of the sleek feathers flying across the hall and getting imbedded in the wall sticks in his mind, and he feels like he’s about to hyperventilate. They’re _dangerous._ If they wanted to, they could slice him to shreds at any point. He’d let his guard down this whole time, but he can’t do that anymore. He has to be careful.

Kihyun addressing him snaps him back into the current situation, “So, yeah, we’re remodeling that bathroom now. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait til Hyunwoo’s done.”

“That’s fine, I don’t mind waiting,” Hoseok says immediately with a forced smile.

He says that, but he does mind. He minds a lot. Because within the next five minutes, he’s sitting on the white, comfy couch in the living room with Kihyun on one side and Minhyuk on the other, and it’s so difficult for him to sit still. A large television is mounted on the wall in front of them, and the news is playing, the remote in Kihyun’s hand. Hoseok tries to focus on the stories the pretty newscaster is talking about, but his attention keeps wandering to the sleek brown coffee table and then the bookshelves, stacked with thick books and little knick-knacks and then, finally, to the big windows. They look out over the front lawn of the house, and Hoseok can see that there are a lot of trees outside. It almost looks like a forest, and as beautiful as it is, it almost makes his heart sink.

He really has absolutely no idea where he is, he can’t think of any forests anywhere close to the city he lives(lived) in. All he knows is that right now he’s in some house with some strangers who aren’t human, and he’s probably pretty damn far from home.

Apparently, his worry shows on his face, as Kihyun meets his eyes a few seconds later and gives him an odd look. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” he answers immediately, perhaps a little too quickly. He clears his throat and shifts between the two smaller men. “I just- the forest. It’s really pretty.”

There’s a moment where Kihyun just stares at him, and Hoseok’s heart pounds in his chest. Did he mess up? Was Kihyun onto him? It feels like those brown eyes are staring right through him, peering into his mind and reading his thoughts, and it makes his blood run cold. He knows where the front door is, he thinks vaguely. If he needs to, he can make a run for it. He may not be the fastest guy around, but maybe if he’s lucky he can make it.

But then Kihyun smiles at him, warm and comforting, and he nods his agreement. “Yeah, isn’t it? I love living out here, it’s so beautiful,” the brunet says, and he turns his head to look out the window. “It’s super quiet and relaxing, and we’ve got so much room. We’ve even got this huge garden out back.”

Somehow, Kihyun’s words relax him, and for a short second, Hoseok starts beating himself up inside. He was overreacting. These guys really aren’t a threat to him, there’s nothing to be scared of. “A huge garden?”

“Yeah, Hyungwon takes care of it. He’s out there right now actually.”

Then, right on cue, there’s the sound of the glass backdoor in the dining room sliding open, and Hoseok swears he can already smell that sweet floral cologne from here. 

That’s all it takes for Hoseok’s anxiety to come rushing back, and this time, it’s stronger than ever. He tries to control his breathing, but he can’t, and before he knows it, he’s hyperventilating. He can hear Kihyun and Minhyuk both asking him frantic questions - “What’s going on?” and “Are you okay?” - but he can’t answer, hunching over and gasping for breath. All he can focus on is the sound of his own labored breathing, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, and the thoughts racing through his mind.

He doesn’t know where he is. He doesn’t know who these people are. He’s not home. He doesn’t know where his friends are, and they don't know where he is either. He left his whole life behind, it was all his fault, and now he’s in danger, these people are going to hurt him, he’s going to die here, he’s going to _die._

A hand touches his shoulder, and he nearly screams, trying to shove the hand away. But then it comes back, and it grips his shoulder hard. He grabs onto Kihyun’s forearms, and he sobs, loud. He can hear someone begging - “ _Please_ don’t hurt me.” - and he vaguely realizes that it’s himself, that it’s _his_ voice saying that, begging for mercy. 

“I won’t hurt you,” the calm, steady voice comes through his flurry of thoughts, but he won’t listen, he just shakes his head. The voice comes back, commanding but gentle, “Hoseok, listen to me. Open your eyes.”

He didn’t even realize his eyes were closed, but he obeys, prying them open to look at the man kneeling before him. His vision is blurry with the big tears streaming from them, but he can still make out Kihyun’s face, the smaller man’s gaze steady and warm. He feels like the intense stare should scare him, but it doesn’t. Somehow, it almost feels like a weight is lifted off his chest. Still, he struggles to breathe, his broad chest heaving, his lungs burning and his heart racing.

“Deep breaths,” Kihyun orders softly. He takes a breath himself to put on an example for Hoseok, and Hoseok follows, forcing himself to breathe in slow through his nose and out just as slow through his mouth. Kihyun’s are steady while Hoseok’s are shaky at first, but as they keep breathing together, Hoseok finds it coming easier to him. Each breath in swells his chest, and every exhale drops his shoulders, and he finds comfort in the rhythm and watching Kihyun match it with him. As his mind clears, he can hear Minhyuk counting the breaths to his right, and he slowly begins to register the feeling of the redhead’s hand on his back, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades.

It takes a while before he’s able to speak, but when he does, the first thing he whispers is, “I’m okay.”

“You’re okay?” Kihyun asks, a delicate smile lifting the corners of his lips, and he squeezes Hoseok’s shoulders. Hoseok’s grateful for the small contact, it grounds him, and he shows his appreciation by squeezing Kihyun’s forearms in return.

“I’m okay,” Hoseok confirms hoarsely, and he really is. He feels numb for the next few minutes, sure, but he’s not freaking out like he was. Kihyun’s hands remain on his shoulders, and the brunet never looks away from his face, even as he softly asks Minhyuk to go get a glass of water.

Kihyun helps him drink the water too, he helps him hold the glass and tips it back just enough for the cool liquid to slide in Hoseok’s mouth. He drinks it happily until Kihyun pulls the glass away and sets it down on the small table beside the couch. Then Kihyun is asking him some question, asking if he wants to go somewhere else, and Hoseok just nods his head.

Being helped up the stairs vaguely reminds him of what Minhyuk said earlier, how he and Hyunwoo had to help him upstairs just like this when they arrived last night. This time, it just takes Kihyun to support him though, as even though he’s still not completely there, he’s certainly more present than he was last night. 

Before he knows it, he’s back in the bed he woke up in. The sweet smell makes him scrunch his nose, and Kihyun laughs lightly above him. A gentle hand brushes through his hair, followed by that comforting voice.

“Hyungwon’s cologne, right?” When Hoseok nods his head, Kihyun goes on, “It’s sickeningly sweet, I can’t stand it either.”

“Really?” Hoseok asks quietly, cracking his eyes open(again, he’s not sure when they closed) to look up at the smaller man sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kihyun nods and smiles down at him. “Yeah. I keep telling him to just stop wearing it already, but he refuses. I guess he really likes it.” Then there’s a moment of pause before he goes on quietly, “Hoseok, I think we need to have a discussion about...everything.”

“Everything?” he echoes.

“Your situation,” Kihyun answers.

_The thing that made you freak out,_ it sounds like he’s saying. Hoseok bites his bottom lip, and he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He can feel the anxiety bubbling in his chest again as he’s reminded of just what Kihyun is talking about - his situation. He’s miles away from home, he doesn’t know where he is, he’s stuck here with complete strangers, he’s-

Either the building anxiety is visible on his face or Kihyun really can read his mind, because there’s suddenly a hand resting softly on his shoulder, grounding him again. “Take some deep breaths,” Kihyun whispers, and then reminds him, “You’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” Hoseok repeats quietly. When he opens his eyes a second later, Kihyun is smiling down at him, and Hoseok pushes himself upright to meet his eyes levelly, leaning back against the wooden headboard of the bed. “Okay. Let’s- Let’s talk.”

“I know you must be really scared,” Kihyun says, keeping his voice low and soft, like he’s scared of startling the fragile man sitting before him. Hoseok is grateful for the consideration, but he doesn’t say anything. He just lowers his gaze and lets the beat of silence settle between them. After a few seconds, Kihyun speaks again, just as quiet, “Last night, Hyungwon said he brought you along because Johnny saw your face. That’s right? He did see your face?”

Hoseok hesitates. He bites the inside of his cheek before nodding and responding, “Yeah, he saw a lot of things.”

Kihyun raises his eyebrows at that and tips his head to one side, leaning down to try and catch Hoseok’s gaze. “What do you mean by that?”

“We were-” Hoseok clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably. “Well, we- I met Hyungwon in a club. And I was taking him back to my apartment when Johnny, uh, caught us in the elevator.”

“ _Oh_.”

“Yeah,” Hoseok whispers back. Another few seconds of silences makes itself at home between them, and when he finally lifts his head to look at Kihyun, the brunet has a thoughtful expression on his face. He hesitates for a second before risking a quiet question of, “Kihyun?”

That makes the man blink, and then he flashes Hoseok a little smile. “Sorry. Just- it makes sense now why Hyungwon wanted you to come with us,” he says, and when Hoseok puts on a face that says he doesn’t understand it, he goes on, “There’s a chance Johnny might’ve thought you had some connection or something to Hyungwon, like you two were close, you know? And if he thought that, he’d want to go after you to try to hurt Hyungwon.”

Hoseok’s lips shape around a soft “oh,” and his gaze falls again. He hadn’t even thought about it like that.

“Hyungwon can be a real asshole sometimes and his cologne smells awful,” Kihyun says suddenly, his sharp words making Hoseok look up again in surprise. “But he’s not a bad person. He was probably worried about you getting hurt.”

His words make Hoseok’s cheeks burn with embarrassment, because he realizes Kihyun is probably right. After all, Kihyun knows Hyungwon. They live together. According to Minhyuk, Kihyun even cleans up after everyone and cooks for them, including Hyungwon, so Kihyun _knows_ him. Hoseok, on the other hand, just met Hyungwon last night. He knows next to nothing about him, and he suddenly feels like such an asshole for judging him so harshly.

Hyungwon was just _worried_ about him, that’s why he brought him along.

Hoseok suddenly feels that familiar tug in the pit of his stomach, and he curls his fingers to grip the sweet-smelling sheets underneath him.

“Still,” Kihyun starts, catching Hoseok’s attention once more, “did he at least ask you if you were okay with coming with him?”

He pauses, thinking back on when they were in the elevator. The one word Hyungwon told him at that time echoes in his mind - “ _Sorry_.” It makes his heart sting with guilt. He shakes his head and answers softly, “No. He just apologized.”

Kihyun frowns at that, his eyebrows pinching together. “Well, that’s- I’m sorry, he should’ve asked you. He didn’t push you to come with him or anything, did he?”

Hoseok shakes his head, and Kihyun visibly relaxes.

“So you felt like you had a choice?”

Hoseok knows Kihyun doesn’t mean it in a bad way, but the question makes him feel even guiltier. He made this decision on his own, Hyungwon didn’t force him or anything. Really, looking back on it, Hyungwon was distant, but he wasn’t _mean_. He was nice in an odd way. He did save Hoseok’s life after all, and when the elevator doors opened on the 7th floor, he didn’t make any move to hold Hoseok back or push him forward. He let _Hoseok_ choose, and this is what he chose.

And then he turned around and blamed Hyungwon for where he currently sat.

Hoseok nods and then ducks his head, curling in on himself. “Yeah,” he answers in a weak voice. “I chose to come with him.”

Right as he begins to think he doesn’t want to talk about this anymore, that comforting hand is back on his shoulder, and when he looks up, Kihyun is giving him a tender smile. “I’m glad you did,” he says, and the words make a pleasant warmth curl in Hoseok’s stomach. “I’d be worried if we just left you behind. I’m sure that after what he saw, Johnny would’ve gone after you. So thank you for coming with us.”

Hoseok’s mouth drops open, and he stutters, “I- No, I- No, um, thank _you_ for letting me.”

Kihyun chuckles, a light and sweet sound. “We’re gonna protect you, okay? I know some of us might be hard to deal with-” Hoseok can guess who he’s talking about. “-but none of us are going to hurt you. I promise.”

For a short second, Hoseok waits. He stares into Kihyun’s eyes, and the brown orbs stare back, glimmering with nothing but warmth and honesty. No matter how deep or hard he searches them, he can’t find even a speck that makes him doubt his words. So he nods his head and responds, voice barely above a whisper, “Okay. Thank you.”

A big, happy smile spreads across Kihyun’s face, and he leans back. Any trace of tension in the air between them has completely vanished, and Hoseok barely even blinks when Kihyun ruffles his hair before standing up, even giving a little smile of his own in return. “You’re welcome,” the brunet says, and without another word, he turns on his heels and walks over to the door in the corner of the room.

Hoseok watches him curiously, only understanding what he’s doing when he slides the door open, immediately spotting the row of clothes hanging up on a rod in the small closet. He watches and smiles at the familiar sight of his favorite jacket, Kihyun pulling it out on a hanger and carrying it over to him.

“I didn’t wash it,” Kihyun says and heaves a sigh, as if it’s the worst news in the world. He drapes the jacket over the foot of the bed, taking it off the hanger, and then smooths his hands over the front of the leather. “I can if you want me to though.”

Right away, Hoseok shakes his head, flushing. He’s grown so used to doing his laundry himself that the thought of someone else doing it for him just rubs him the wrong way. “No, that’s okay. I washed it a couple days ago, it should be clean enough for a while.”

Still, Kihyun’s gaze lingers on the jacket, and he gives a low, thoughtful hum before turning around and returning to the closet. He comes back a second later with Hoseok’s shoes in hand, and he sets them down beside the foot of the bed, flashing him a smile. “And here are your shoes. Now, I _did_ clean the bottom of them. There was some gum on one of them, but I scraped it off.”

Hoseok cringes at the thought. He wants to apologize for Kihyun having to do that, but before he can, Kihyun’s turning away and walking to the door. He watches the smaller man open the door and poke his head outside. After a few seconds, Hoseok hears the sound of a door opening somewhere out in the hall, and Kihyun perks up in the doorway. Even from here, Hoseok can see the big grin that lifts Kihyun’s cheeks.

“Hyunwoo!” Kihyun calls, and there’s the sound of footsteps on the wooden floor before the man appears in the doorway beside Kihyun, just a towel wrapped around his waist, looking very much like he _just_ got out of the shower. Hoseok blushes at the sight and has to force himself to keep his eyes on Hyunwoo’s face, but Kihyun seems completely unbothered. In fact, Hoseok swears he sees Kihyun’s eyes flick up and down before he smiles up at the taller man and asks, “Can Hoseok borrow some of your clothes? You two have a similar body type. I think he’d rip anyone else’s.”

Hoseok’s cheeks flush warmer, and he looks down at himself. He guesses Kihyun’s right, he is rather broad and muscular, maybe even more so than Hyunwoo in some areas.

Hyunwoo just gives a shrug of his shoulders in response and grunts. “Yeah, sure,” is all the reply he gives, and then he turns his attention to Hoseok. “The shower’s free by the way. Better hop in before Changkyun, he’ll use all the hot water.”

“Changkyun?” Hoseok echos curiously, head tilting to one side.

“Oh, right, you haven’t met him yet,” Kihyun sighs and shakes his head. “He’s a mess. He and Jooheon are out right now, I sent them grocery shopping this morning. They should be back in time for dinner though, so you can meet them then.”

All Hoseok can do is nod in return. So there _are_ six people living here already, which means he’s the seventh. It’s silly, but his mind immediately goes to “ _where am I going to sit at the dining table?_ ” He doesn’t have much time to dwell on it though, as Kihyun is quickly ushering him out of bed and out into the hallway, leading him to the bathroom with a gentle hand on his back.

“I’ll grab you some clothes from Hyunwoo’s closet, okay? I’ll leave them on Hyungwon’s bed.” Kihyun smiles at Hoseok as he guides him into the bathroom. “Also, you have to turn the knob all the way and then turn it back again to get the really hot water to come out. It’s a little weird, but the piping is messed up. It works though, I promise.”

Hoseok just nods along as Kihyun scurries about the rather spacious bathroom, showing him where all the towels and shampoos and soaps are. And then, before he knows it, Kihyun is out the door, pulling it closed behind himself and leaving Hoseok standing there in silence with an armful of shower supplies. He looks down at the items and then turns to carefully set them on the counter. As he looks up, he catches the eyes of his own reflection, and it makes him pause.

He looks worse than he thought. His hair is a mess, his eyes are red and puffy from crying so hard earlier, and his clothes are super wrinkled. He smooths his hands down over the front of his shirt in hopes of ridding it of some of the wrinkles, but it barely does anything. He sighs. It’ll have to be ironed.

It doesn’t take him more than a couple minutes before he’s got all his clothes stripped off, leaving them reluctantly in the dirty clothes hamper in the corner, and then he walks over to step into the shower, bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in hand. He sets the bottles on the small shelf in the corner of the shower and turns his attention to the silver knob above the faucet. Thankfully, when he turns the water on(following Kihyun’s specific instructions, of course), it doesn’t take long for it to reach to the perfect temperature, still warm from Hyunwoo’s shower.

He closes the glass door of the shower, and in just a few seconds, he’s being peppered with the hot, comforting drops of water. He breathes out a peaceful sigh as he tilts his head back, letting the water stream down his throat. For the first time today, he feels actually completely relaxed. He closes his eyes and allows himself to get lost in the sensation, focusing on the feeling of the droplets sliding down his body, leaving trails of heat over his skin, soothing his tired mind. He feels like he could fall asleep here if he’s not careful.

Unfortunately, all those peaceful thoughts are abruptly thrown out the window. The sound of the door being flung open and banging against the wall makes him nearly jump out of his skin, his heart skipping a beat in panic. He looks over at the person in the doorway with wide eyes, anger flashing through him at the fact that someone just barged in on him like an asshole, didn’t even knock or anything, and he’s about to open his mouth to yell at them to get out when-

Pink hair.

He gapes at Hyungwon, and Hyungwon stares back in just as much surprise, those ice blue eyes big and round and those soft, gorgeous lips falling open in a silent gasp. It takes a while before either of them can say anything, and Hyungwon is the first to stutter something out, turning his head away so fast Hoseok worries he might get whiplash.

“Uh, so- sorry,” he says over the patter of the water, and the word startles Hoseok into reaching down, covering his crotch to hide it from Hyungwon’s gaze, despite the fact that the man isn’t even looking at him anymore. “Sorry, I thought the shower was free, I was gonna-”

“I-It’s not,” Hoseok interrupts quickly, the words coming out maybe a little sharper than he meant them to, but he doesn’t take them back or apologize. He can feel his cheeks heating up by the second, and he silently urges Hyungwon to just go already.

Thankfully, Hyungwon seems to get the memo, as he clears his throat and reaches to grab the doorknob, keeping his head turned to stare at the wall instead of the naked showering man in front of him. “Yeah, uh, yeah, I get that now. Um, sorry.”

Hoseok doesn’t fail to notice the way Hyungwon’s eyes flick to him one more time before he steps back into the hallway and pulls the door closed, and that small, brief glance is all it takes to make Hoseok’s heart flutter in his chest. Once the door clicks shut, he lets out the big breath he’d been holding and stares incredulously after the taller man.

Hyungwon just walked in on him showering. He probably saw his dick.

Then it occurs to him - he’s _living_ with Hyungwon now, and that just makes it so much worse.

Dinner is going to be so awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooo i'm back fjdkslfjds there was one anon on my cc who asked months ago when i would update this again and well heRE WE GO  
> i got inspired super suddenly to continue it yesterday so i did ;;;;  
> i hope it's okay!! djsklfjds  
> (also i didn't proofread this so like, RIP)
> 
> my twitter is [longerassride](https://twitter.com/longerassride) if you wanna yell at me about monsta x


End file.
